Lashley said she believes Montreal police are making an honest effort to address racial profiling — but miss the mark in many areas including training programs, hiring visible minorities, funding outreach programs, and transparency.

"The police don't understand the lives of the people they're policing," Lashley said. "They have difficulty putting themselves in the shoes of the person standing in front of them,"

The report was based on a survey of more than 150 officers and a dozen in-person interviews.

Training 'inadequate'

Lashley said police officers told her half-day sensitivity training programs they received were not enough.

"A lot of them felt that it was inadequate," she said. "Some said that they hadn't had anything formally since they left CEGEP. A half-day training, 10 years ago or whatever it was — these things have got to be renewed."

Montreal police have been accused of racial profiling for years. Demonstrators are seen here taking part in an anti-police brutality march in 2008. (Graham Hughes/Canadian Press)

Some officers sought training programs online on their own because they said they felt the training from Montreal police had little to offer, she added.

"A lot of it is 'check the box' type thing. There's nobody putting you into an experiential situation," she said.

Successful programs cut

The report found that police programs that were successful in building bridges with visible minorities were underappreciated and underfunded.

Some, such as a sports program involving officers and young people in Montreal North, have also been cut.

"If you don't have the money I guess you have to cut somewhere — but the SPVM has got to go and make that case and say 'we need a better relationship with the community you've got to give us that money,'" she said.

Lashley said little gestures like this — what she called "soft policing" — may not get a lot of attention, but they make a big difference.

Myrna Lashley, the report's lead author, said Montreal police officers should spend more time in the community. (Radio-Canada)

A civilian oversight body to help set police objectives and priorities, such as the police services board in Toronto, could help address the problem, she added.

But she said overall police officers need to get to know the city better.

"Don't just come into our neighbourhood when there's police work to be done. Come and spend time with us."

Mayor promises action

The report, which was completed in June 2015, was only made public recently.

Mayor Valérie Plante said Thursday things will change under her new administration.

Newly elected Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante says it's important for all Montrealers to feel safe. (CBC)

"It's now our duty to do a thorough follow-up because it's important for Montrealers to feel safe, whoever they are," Plante said.

Montreal police say they are currently analyzing the recommendations from the report and will "see how to integrate them in the next plan with the goal of improving our polices practices and to combat social and racial profiling."

Cultural shift needed

While Lashley believes police efforts are sincere, she said an incident from her own life a few weeks ago shows that a major cultural shift still needs to happen.

She said she greeted police officers a few weeks ago at coffee shop and they didn't respond.